The invention relates to a method for producing a molded body and also a molded body produced in this manner.
To combine decorative or functional elements with plastic parts, accommodating foil plies with such elements in injection molded parts is known. In this case, such a foil ply is laid in an injection mold and fixed therein. Subsequently, a plastic molding compound is injected into the injection mold, where it bonds to the foil ply and cures. A known method for this purpose is the so-called in-mold decoration method (IMD) or the insert molding method.
However, such production methods are limited in multiple aspects. Because of the high temperatures and the high pressures during the injection molding, firstly the selection of the usable foil plies is restricted. In particular foils having sensitive electronic functional layers or security elements cannot be used, since they would be destroyed under the injection molding conditions.
Furthermore, the freedom of design is restricted in the case of injection molding, since essentially only a substantially homogeneous plastic molding compound can be used. The resulting molded body is thus also homogeneous except for the foil ply.
Furthermore, molds, which are complex to produce and operate, are required as a tool for injection molding. This requires high levels of investment and makes changes or individualizations of the parts to be produced problematic. Furthermore, the molds must be replaced regularly, since a high level of wear is present due to the above-mentioned high pressures and temperatures.
The object of the present invention is thus to specify a particularly simple and flexible method for producing a molded body and a molded body producible in this manner.